Crisis Resource Management Training
We focus on crisis resource management (CRM) training with an emphasis on team performance rehearsing the management of common to rarely occurring critical events and critical incidents. Assessment of team performance is vital to identify gaps that could affect patient care and require further training. We use TeamMonitor, a validated 9-dimension team-based self-monitoring tool, to assess team performance on all our in-situ simulation courses.
In-situ simulation courses
We run regular embedded in-situ simulation courses at Royal Brompton Hospital which focus upon interprofessional team training for all staff expected to respond to an emergency. Staff attend these courses during their work shift and at their usual workplace utilising all equipment and resources required during a real emergency. We also engage with patients and their families about their perceptions of this training and initial responses show strong support for this type of training.
Our trained faculty and clinicians facilitate weekly embedded simulations in the real clinical areas where staff work. Our focus on crisis resource management allows staff to have regular training in the non-technical aspects of how to respond in an emergency, with less time away from the workplace. The aim is to improve interprofessional and cross disciplinary team performance in time-critical situations.
These courses are held across Royal Brompton Hospital and are exclusive for Trust staff. Scenarios are derived from real emergencies and we use real equipment and resources to make them as true to life as possible. This strategy also enables us to identify processes and system issues that could potentially pose a risk to real patients (latent threats).
Resilience Engineering
SPRinT forges individual, team and system resilience by proactively testing the fabric of the workplace for potential threats to patient safety. These latent threats identified during SPRinT courses are mitigated through system and service changes, which ultimately improve patient safety.
SPRinT faculty collaborates with the Trust Quality & Safety department and SPRinT led system improvements have been implemented Trust-wide.
Improved Patient Care
The high stakes nature of clinical emergency events requires a co-ordinated team response to ensure better and safer patient care. Team deficits in communication are the greatest proven driver of patient outcome. Our in-situ simulation scenarios aim for all staff involved in patient care to optimise patient safety and outcome through improved team-working and crisis resource management.
Translational research
Simulation is a powerful educational tool. Its use for clinical and procedural skills training is well established. There is also growing body of evidence for its use on team training and system changes to ensure better patient care. We want to collaborate on providing evidence that simulation works. Our research interests ensure that methodology and quality improvement projects are shared to facilitate translational research into patient safety. We have presented our results and delivered workshops in national and international critical care, anaesthetic, surgical and simulation conferences.